{pfffft!} Better to just buy the darn thing! The bikeshare in my city (Indianapolis) charges $8 for a 24 hr. membership ($80 annual) and then charges by the half-hour. ($2 each for the first two half-hours, and $4 per each half-hour thereafter.) There are at least three excellent bike shops in the downtown area alone and the hardware store also has some biking supplies.
On yesterday’s ride, I saw what appeared to be a road-worthy Fuji parked in front of an antique shop with a price tag of $50. There was also a department-store bike marked $40.
I parked my own Fuji across from the courtyard from those two, and reflected that if anyone asked how much, I’d say "enough to buy a custom-built mixte, and you have to wait for delivery until the mixte is finished, delivered, fitted, and road-tested ". Don’t know where I’d buy it, now that Ben Serotta is retired.
I think Penny was referring to those schemes where somebody, amid much fanfare, scatters orange bikes all over town with signs saying “free to use, return to any rack” and they promptly disappear. Even if such schemes could work, I’d want a saddle that fits my butt and panniers that fit my groceries. Not to mention that none of the places where the orange bikes are scattered is in my garage. And there’s no guarantee that there will be a bike in the rack when I come out of the store.
I just looked up “CitiBike” in Wikepedia. Seems to be working. But there is no luggage capacity whatsoever, and the bikes are pedestrian accelerators, deliberately designed to inhibit cycling. (It’s “safer” to ride very slowly.) I’m surprised that they aren’t crank forward. Being able to put both feet on the ground is a safety matter for a rank beginner. But crank forwards are a bummer to get through a stoplight, and I’m sure NYC has lots of stoplights.
reynard61 over 7 years ago
{pfffft!} Better to just buy the darn thing! The bikeshare in my city (Indianapolis) charges $8 for a 24 hr. membership ($80 annual) and then charges by the half-hour. ($2 each for the first two half-hours, and $4 per each half-hour thereafter.) There are at least three excellent bike shops in the downtown area alone and the hardware store also has some biking supplies.
Robert Nowall Premium Member over 7 years ago
Cars are freedom. Don’t give it up.
aunt granny over 7 years ago
On yesterday’s ride, I saw what appeared to be a road-worthy Fuji parked in front of an antique shop with a price tag of $50. There was also a department-store bike marked $40.
I parked my own Fuji across from the courtyard from those two, and reflected that if anyone asked how much, I’d say "enough to buy a custom-built mixte, and you have to wait for delivery until the mixte is finished, delivered, fitted, and road-tested ". Don’t know where I’d buy it, now that Ben Serotta is retired.
I think Penny was referring to those schemes where somebody, amid much fanfare, scatters orange bikes all over town with signs saying “free to use, return to any rack” and they promptly disappear. Even if such schemes could work, I’d want a saddle that fits my butt and panniers that fit my groceries. Not to mention that none of the places where the orange bikes are scattered is in my garage. And there’s no guarantee that there will be a bike in the rack when I come out of the store.
I just looked up “CitiBike” in Wikepedia. Seems to be working. But there is no luggage capacity whatsoever, and the bikes are pedestrian accelerators, deliberately designed to inhibit cycling. (It’s “safer” to ride very slowly.) I’m surprised that they aren’t crank forward. Being able to put both feet on the ground is a safety matter for a rank beginner. But crank forwards are a bummer to get through a stoplight, and I’m sure NYC has lots of stoplights.